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The House Resources Committee will be
marking up Rep. Walden's Science bill
(HR 1662) and Rep. Cardoza's Habitat
bill (HR 2933) on Wednesday, July 21,
2004
07/19/04
Comprehensive reform of the
Endangered Species Act (ESA) remains
one of the top legislative
priorities of the National Grange.
The National Grange has supported
amendments to the ESA to justify all
ESA management decisions through
sound science and to balance all
decisions to list a species as
endangered against the economic
health of a community.
Now two critical ESA improvement
measures are before the House
Resources Committee. Walden's
Science bill (HR 1662) is designed
to prevent scientifically
unjustified ESA decisions and
Cardoza's Critical Habitat bill (HR
2933) will broaden the criteria for
determining the economic effects of
critical habitat designations.
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SUMMARY OF HR 1662, THE SOUND
SCIENCE FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES
ACT PLANNING ACT OF 2003
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To amend the Endangered Species Act
of 1973 to require the Secretary of
the Interior to give greater weight
to scientific or commercial data
that is empirical or has been
field-tested or peer-reviewed, and
for other purposes.
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Requires peer-reviewed science as
basis for ESA decisions.
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Establishes a mandatory
independent scientific review
requirement for all ESA listing
and de-listing proposals to ensure
the use of sound science and
provide a mechanism for resolving
scientific disputes during the
rulemaking process.
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Requires the Secretary of the
Interior to solicit and obtain
additional data from landowners
and others that would assist in
the development of recovery plans,
including the recovery goals.
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SUMMARY OF HR 2933, THE CRITICAL
HABITAT REFORM ACT OF 2003
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To amend the Endangered Species Act
of 1973 to require the process for
designating critical habitat to be
practicable, economically feasible,
and concurrent with the approval of
a recovery plan for a species.
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Specifies factors for
consideration of the economic
impact on landowners under the
Act, including lost revenues and
costs associated with preparing
reports, surveys, and analyses.
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Directs the Secretary, in
determining whether an area is
critical habit, to seek and, if
available, consider information
from local governments in the
vicinity of the area, including
local resource data maps.
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Prohibits the Secretary of the
Interior from designating an area
as critical habitat of a species,
and any designation of critical
habitat of a species from applying
to an area, if the area is subject
to: (1) a habitat conservation
plan that the Secretary determines
provides protection for habitat of
the species that is substantially
equivalent to the protection that
would be provided by such
designation; or (2) a State or
Federal land conservation program
that provides such protection.
THE HOUSE RESOURCES COMMITTEE'S
MARKUP FOR HR 1662 & HR 2933 WILL BE
HELD THIS WEDNESDAY, JULY 21. PLEASE
LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD BY SENDING
AN EMAIL TO THE HOUSE RESOURCES
COMMITTEE OFFICES (
Resources.Committee@mail.house.gov ) ASKING
THEM TO PASS THOSE TWO CRITICAL
MEASURES!
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Letter: |
Dear House Resources
Committee:
I am writing to urge you
to support passage of H.R.
1662 and H.R. 2933 that you
will be marking up this
Wednesday.
Over the past years,
farmers and ranchers have
suffered economic and social
harm generated by the
Endangered Species Act that
lacks sound science and
consideration of economic
impacts to the affected
areas.
H.R. 1662 and H.R. 2933
will ask greater weight to
be given to scientific and
commercial data in the ESA
management decisions. Please
pass these two critical
measures to give more
sensible principle to the
ESA.
Sincerely,
(Signature)
(Name)__________________________
(Grange/Grange name and
number)
__________________________
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_____________________________________________________________________________
If you have any questions or
comments on this action alert please
contact Legislative Research Analyst
Chil-Sook Hwang by email:
chwang@nationalgrange.org by fax:
(202) 347-1091 or by phone:
1-888-4GRANGE, ext. 109
Thank you for your grassroots
participation in the National Grange
Legislative Program.
National Grange of the Order of
Patrons of Husbandry
1616 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004
1-888-4GRANGE
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